[Malta] Interview: Thinking pinkExcerpt: The AD spokesman pointed out that often enough, it is just about being more sensitive and it would not cost much to introduce more gay-friendly measures.He mentioned a situation where a transsexual woman had to stay in a men's ward when she was admitted to hospital."This is downright humiliating. It really would not have taken much for the hospital to allow her to stay in a women's ward."[Uganda] Concern for missing Ugandan gay rights activistOne of three people who demonstrated at an AIDS international conference in Uganda has disappeared.Usaam Auf Mukwaya was arrested at the HIV/AIDS Implementers' Meeting last month.Their protest was sparked when the head of Uganda's AIDS commission said that gay people are driving up the number of infections in the country, but would not be targeted with prevention work.

Sam Winter from Hong Kong University recently wrote to the Quasi Governmental Broadcast Authority in HK about a programme ATV ran a couple of weeks ago about Thai transwomen, "in which the Cantonese slang word 'yan yiu' ('human monster') was used consistently, and to the almost complete exclusion of any other word (for example 28 times in the space of just 11 minutes)."[Thailand] Teens ready for sex change?Valee Pancharoen watched her son transform as he became a teenager, first painting his nails, then wearing a wig and, finally, the dresses he had been wearing for years but hiding from his parents. [China] [Commentary]Gender testing for female OlympiansWell, that didn't take very long. China's state media is reporting that female athletes suspected of "really" being males will be made to undergo gender screening at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, set to open in a few short weeks:(...)OII Denounces Sexist Discrimination and Human Rights Violations of Intersexed Athletes in BeijingThe Organisation Intersex International is deeply committed to ending human rights violations of intersexed people around the world. OII has learned that the Chinese medical establishment is defying the International Olympic Committee's finding that sex or gender testing in Olympic sport is neither scientific nor humane, by re-instituting invalid, outmoded "sex tests" for the Beijing Games. An example of the Chinese medical establishment' segregious violation of scientific fact and their assault on human dignity is the notification of their decision to use chromosomal and genetic tests, as well as nude examinations of the appearance of women athletes competing in the Olympic Games in Beijing.OPEN LETTER to Chair and board of IOC medical committeeDear Dr. Ljungqvist and other IOC medical board members,Organisation Intersex International (OII) has learned that a group of sports medicine professionals from China wish to re-institute "sex testing" of Olympic athletes at the Olympic Games in China – the very same place where a study performed in China has demonstrated that such testing is not valid.[Vietnam] Kaleidoscope (Beauty contest tells it straight)Miss Angel 2008, an unofficial beauty contest for gay men and transsexuals held last Sunday in HCM City, was similar to similar kinds of events in Viet Nam except for its focus on HIV/AIDS prevention.[Malaysia] Malaysian Islamic court sends 4 Muslim men to jail for cross-dressingAn official says an Islamic court in northern Malaysia has jailed four Muslim men for taking part in a transvestite beauty pageant.

The Kelantan Islamic Religious Affairs Department sent a clear message to transgenders all over the world. Do not come to this conservative state in Malaysia if you identify as a transgender, or even as a transsexual. We will arrest you, jail you and fine you if we find you dressed up as women. It is reported in The Star on Friday, these Kelantanese religious moral guardians arrested young adult transgenders at a beauty pageant held within a nearby resort. The Malaysian Insider reported the arrest of 16 out of 50 contestants from all over the country, while 3 managed to escape by dangerously diving into the river, during this contest called the “Glam Nite Miss Universe Asia 2008″ at Tok Bali, Bachok.[TN,USA] Transgendered suspect arrested for prostitutionThe transgendered suspect whose videotaped police beating led to the firing of two Memphis police officers was arrested early Sunday morning on charges of prostitution and possession of drug paraphernalia.

To say that 43 year-old Duanna Johnson leads a difficult life would be an understatement. At her small, rundown, North Memphis house you'll find condom wrappers on the ground outside her door.[TN,USA] Several people shot at gay affirming church in Knoxville - Shooter may have targeted church because of its support for gaysExcerpt: Church services were disrupted today at a gay-affirming church in Knoxville when a lone gunman opened fire killing at least one person, and wounding several more.

Keepin the T in LGBT

[CA, USA] [News/Commentary] Protesters Among the Gay Tuxedoed Crowd"This is one for the history books," said Robert Haaland, a longtime San Francisco transgender activist. He couldn't be more on the money. A coalition of groups, including Pride at Work, And Castro 4 All, and the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, called a boycott and managed to get not only local politicians, but also the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) dinner's keynote speaker to cancel at the last moment. In the end, HRC, the national gay group that last Fall dropped transgenders from coverage in the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA), learned the power of the queer and transgender communities in San Francisco.Villaraigosa drops plans for speech to gay rights groupLos Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa pulled out as keynote speaker for a gay rights group's fundraising event scheduled for Saturday night following intense lobbying from transgender activists angry over the group's stand on a federal gay rights bill.[Blog/Commentary] Lesbian activist ousted from HRC dinnerExcerpt: At some point I was knocked to the ground and dragged out of the dining area into the outer room where they lifted me to my feet but did not let go. I then said to them: "let me go, I will leave." (We were walking to a stairwell). They did not let go and dragged me off my feet again and down the stairs to the exit on Post street.Elderly transwoman assaulted at HRC gala by hired thugsCatherine Cusic, a 63 year old lesbian from San Francisco, was forcibly evicted from this weekend's HRC dinner gala after she stood up during Joe Solmonese's keynote speech. According to witnesses and Ms. Cusic, while she had leaflets in her hand about HRC's ENDA debacle, she had not given any out before hired security grabbed her by the arms and literally dragged her from the room, down a flight of stairs and threw her onto the street. Ms. Cusic documented her injuries after not being allowed to regain her footing.[Blog/Commentary] HRC and the Need for a "Second Stonewall""The rage against the HRC is not fuelled by one deception last year, but by a legacy of exclusion... . The HRC's insistence on adhering to the old patterns of disregard is why a second Stonewall has literally erupted at their door."

[NY, USA] Change In The AirFor almost four years, Melissa Sklarz couldn't find a job approaching the stature of her previous position as an executive at a city export-import firm.She landed gigs through friends, moonlighting as a waitress or doing office work off the books. But job performance issues had nothing to do with her inability to find fulfilling work.What stood in her way were gender issues: She'd recently undergone medical procedures transforming her from male to female, changing her body to match the sense she'd long had of her innate gender.Photo: ON THE JOB: Melissa Sklarz couldn't find work after she changed gender - today she's happily employed.

[USA] [Blog/Commentary]Lawrence King's Killer to be tried as AdultRelying on past court decisions, a judge ruled Thursday that trying a 14-year-old boy accused of murder in an adult court does not violate the constitution, swatting down legal arguments raised by the boy's attorney that it was cruel and unusual punishment to do so.

The brother of an 18-year-old transgender woman who was murdered in Greeley has told the gayzette he believes the murder was gang related.Gonzalo Zapata, 24, was Angie Zapata’s older brother. He said he believed his sister was dating a gang member and when the gang found out one of its members was dating a transgender woman, they needed to act.